Healthy Foods Anyone Can Buy and Cook With.

One of the best things you can do for your diet is to make your own food from scratch, but many people find this task a little intimidating and time consuming. But I'm here to tell you that a few exrtra ingredients can help make it a much easier task. 

The first thing you have to start with is getting all the right ingredients in your shopping list. They don’t have to be fancy and expensive, they just have to be good. Add these wonderful healthy items to your grocery list and your kitchen will become a kingdom of wellness.

This is a great source for vitamins A, C, K, calcium, essential fatty acids and iron. It is one of the most celebrated superfoods and it is surprisingly versatile. It makes for a great salad base, soup herb, crispy oven chips and burger topping. You won't necessity find it in every store you visit, but if you do, add it, it's a much have for any healthy kitchen. 

Bananas

A natural power snack, bananas are a great source of potassium, B6 and vitamin C. Bananas are a great way to quiet your sweet cravings without adding refined sugar, so put some of these guys in your shopping cart to remind yourself not to buy any more snacks. Eat bananas by themselves or add them to oatmeal, pancakes and pudding. If you have a blender you can make yummy smoothies and mixtures for baking banana muffins and other such goodies.

Quinoa

This 'super seed' is a delicious complete protein, high in fiber and iron and only takes 15 minutes to make, as simple as making rice. Throw some into your soups or use it to replace rice or pasta as a side dish. Mix in nuts or berries for flavor and it's a great dish by itself.

Nuts

If your supermarket is selling raw, unsalted nuts, than it’s a crime not to buy some for your family. Nuts are full of heart and brain-boosting fats and a good source of protein as qwll tons of vitamins and minerals. Avoid kinds that have added, unhealthy, oils and excess sodium.

Much like other foods on this list, nuts can be easily combined with many types of dishes, or just be a simple fun snack by themselves. If you really want to get creative you can add nuts to your spaghetti and meat casseroles or go with the standard approach of salad and cereal topping. Just keep in mind that some nuts are very high on calories so don’t overdo it!

Oats

Great for their fiber and important minerals, oats are a sustainable energy source to get you filled up and ready to get through your day. Put some in water or milk on the stove and let it boil while you get ready. When it’s nice and soft add seeds, nuts, fruits, or coconut flakes, whatever your heart fancies. If you don’t mind working a bit harder, oats are also wonderful when it comes to baking, too.

Chickpeas or legumes

Canned or dried, these are a great way to eat more protein, fiber, B vitamins and lots of minerals like iron and magnesium. They are very easy to cook with and can be used in veggie dishes and as topping for other foods listed here such as quinoa.

Olive oil

Much has been said already about olive oil so I'll keep it short and simple. Look for either organic, extra virgin or cold-pressed brands and anything you will make with it will immediately become a celebration of taste and wellness. Use it as a dressing and for all of your low heat cooking needs.

Hummus

This delicious source of protein, fiber and minerals (such as iron and calcium), can now be found in high quality and a variety of flavors. More and more supermarkets offer this tasty and healthy spread. Eat it with veggies, crackers, baked chips, and use it as condiment on sandwiches or even hamburgers and other meat dishes. Make sure it doesn't come with unhealthy oils, as some do.

Like all citrus, lemons are well known for their high amounts of vitamin C and many healthy benefits. Just buying a few extra lemons each time you go to the store can work wonders for you and your family. Use it as a dressing for fish and veggies, add grated lemon rinds to your cooking and baking or just squeeze it into water for a refreshing and detoxifying drink that helps you detox every day.

Apples

Known for their fiber and vitamin C, few people dislike apples, but many forget them when it comes to daily grocery shopping.. Keep them in a bowl on the kitchen counter so that anyone will have a healthy snack they can easily eat whenever they want. You can also chop it and mix it with your salad for an extra sweet taste.

Garlics and onions

Both of these are great "healing foods", rich in antioxidants and loaded with vitamins (especially vitamin C). You can use garlic and onions as a base for almost everything you cook. From a simple scrambled egg to the most complex culinary creations, when you are eating at home or grilling meat outside. Once you have them around the house you will surely find more and more amazing uses for them, so always pick some up when you are shopping.

Almond and coconut milks are well known dairy alternatives full of proteins, healthy fats and lots of essential vitamins and minerals. They are good if you're avoiding dairy products or if you just want to help make your fridge a bit healthier. They can both be used the same way you use normal milk, but the taste will be a bit different.

Seeds

Sesame, pumpkin, sunflower, hemp hearts, ground flax, chia and many other seeds like them are tiny powerhouses of nutrition. Including healthy fats, proteins, fiber, calcium, and all sorts of other vitamins and minerals. The uses for seeds are truly endless, so I recommend you just experiment with them and have fun, discover how great and easy it can be to get creative in the kitchen.

Frozen berries

Another sweet addition to your diet that’s full of micronutrients and anti-oxidants. You can buy frozen berries, fresh berries or organic berries and no matter what you will enjoy many healthy benefits. Add them to your morning cereals, your smoothies and your yogurt, it's not even cooking and it can do wonders for you!

So there you have it, you can now go shopping and pick up better products for you and your family. You don’t have to buy them all and you don’t have to do so all the time, but when you remember these benefits, take a few and add them to your grocery bag, you won't regret it!